Face lift is one of the most popular surgical method of dealing with the process of aging and the effect it has on the appearance, and therefore self-confidence. A face lift made by the team of professional and experienced specialist may make a person look even 10 years younger. There are, however, major and minor signs of aging that need to be corrected, and that is why it is not always necessary to perform a full face lift, but a smaller procedure, namely the mini face lift.
Most of all, mini face lift is a less invasive limited incision procedure that takes about 90 min to complete and targets either upper or lower part of face with jowls and neck, whereas a full lift covers the entire face with jowls and neck, and it may take even several hours before it’s done. Consequently, the mini lift consist of less incisions and scarring. The mini face lift is performed on an outpatient basis, under local anaesthetic. While the full lift is quite frequently done under general anaesthetic, depending on a patients needs, and therefore may require an overnight stay at the clinic or hospital. As for the effects of these treatments, the full lift deals with loose skin in the cheek and neck folds, as well as tightens the skin on the whole face. The second option is only effective in case of minor sagging, only certain parts of face are submitted to the treatment. Due to the fact that the mini face lift targets some of the face parts it is considered to be less invasive, and therefore the convalescence period is much shorter; patients usually come back to work after a couple of days, while in case of the full lift it may take up to 2 weeks for a patient to recover and resume daily activities. Nevertheless, the results of the full procedure are fairly permanent, whereas the effect achieved with the mini lift holds about 5-10 years and is affected by the aging process and gravity. The effect after the mini lift, however, is immediately visible, while for the results of the full lift a patient needs to wait until the convalescence has completed. Another difference worth mentioning is the price difference. The mini face lift costs about $3500-$6500 and is cheaper than the full lift, whose price is approximately $7000-$15000.
Both of these procedures may be performed alone or be combined with other surgeries for which many clinics provide discounted prices. The most frequent combinations are: face lift procedure with fat transfer, dermal fillers, such as botox, upper, lower or both eyelids correction, a brow lift, neck liposuction,etc. Moreover, apart from more affordable price arrangements, having multiple procedures mean one surgery under anaesthetic as well as a single recovery period with follow-up visits for all the combined procedures. It is necessary to consult a cosmetic surgeon and check which option would be the most suitable for your needs and in order to achieve the best results. Both of these procedures are recommended for men and women in their 40s or 60s, most frequently the mini lift is more appropriate for younger patients, as the aging signs are not so substantial and it is not necessary to correct the whole face.